Well drilling apparatus



y 21, 1935. c. E. BANNISTER 2.002.387

WELL DRILLING APPARATUS 7 Filed June l, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 43 km JL J 1 35 mm 34 E 7 1 .36 j

J7 den for lyde EBannz'sfqr y c. E. BANNISTER 2,002,387

WELL: DRILLING APPARATUS Filed June 1, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Even for 619%? 5. 13022225622? l3, the-jar-weight l5 having secured therein a through the hollow Patented May 21, 1935 02 87 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL Dnll lllAltATUs Clyde E. Bannister, Houston, Tex. Application June 1, 1933, Serial No. 673,798 18 Claims. 255-4) This invention relates to apparatus for drilling pair of vertical supporting rods l6, l6 which are wells in which a rotative bit is employed for disslldably mounted in apertures formed in the lodging the particles or earth or rock and a. curflan e 3 and at their upper ends are connected rent or fluid is employed for washing the par- 11 pair f cables 1, wh h at the p of the ticles to the surface or the ground and preferw l r provld dlw th ui bl pp r andv 5 ably, although not necessarily, tor driving the bit. re lin d vi s not sh wn) f r l we in th m The chief objects of the invention are to prointo and reeling them out or the well and on ocvide economy of apparatus, to provide economy c slon for imparting to them such qui k v r i l of power consumption, to provide economy of movement as to raise the jar-weight l5 from its 10 time, to provide economy of labor, to expedite the lowermost position, against the swivel l2, or from 10 operations of pulling the drilling and fluid-cir flnyiintermedifl-te 905M011, and 68-1158 it to abut culating devices from the hole and lowering them the flan e W with aheavy impact. t loosen the thereinto as compared with the uncoupling and housing 10 and he b carried thereby from y re-coupling of drill pipe, to provide economically sedimentation or cave-in in which the bit or the i5 and conveniently for dislodging a bit that has h t and h usin may h v become stu I become stuck by reason of .sedimentation or a The cables I! may be provided at intervals cave-in or other cause, to provide in an improved with eans Shown) c y Supporting manner for continuous deepening of the hole the hose to avoid excessive strain on the latter. without interruption of operations and to provide The top end of the housing I0 is closed except other advantages which will be manifest in the r its mmun ati n w h t pp y Pip ll 20 study of the following description. and at its lower end is provided with a closure Of the accompanying drawings: disc or floor l8 (Fig. l) which is centrally formed. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of parts of a preferred with a bearing aperture tor the hollow stem is embodiment of the. invention. of an outer bit 20, which stem accommodates Fig 2 is rti al section, n a man r s l other members mounted within it for relative 25 of the portions of the apparatus next above those rotation. v of Fig. 1. For supporting upon the outer bit 20 a proper Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 or part oi the weight of the casing l0 and the parts Fig. l. associated therewith a ball thrust-bearing 2| is Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 0! interposed between a bearing-race shoulder 22 30 Fig. 1. formed on the closure disc l8 and a bearing-race Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 oi. shoulder 23 formed on the stem l9 0! the outer Fig.1. bit 20, and lip-gaskets 24 and 25 are provided Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 or between the closure disc I8 and the stem I9, Fig. l. above and below the bearing, respectively, for 35 Fig. I is a vertical section on line 1-4 of Fig. l. preventing excessively coarse particles from gain- Fig. 8 is a vertical section oi parts of a modiflins acce s to h h -i cation. The upper end portion of the stem is lies within Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comand s i u a d n t upp and w r nd prises a housing Ill connected through a vertical, walls of the casing 26 of a positive displacement, 40 axialsupply pipe ll (Fig. 2), a swivel l2, and a eccentric, rotary, fluid-pressure motor which is fluid-supply and guide pipe l3 with a no e I connected to the inner wall of the housing ill by leading, into the well and suitably manipulated rad a bra kets 6. 2 and s adapt d to ec iv and supported at the top of the well by reeling driving fluid from the interior of the housing It! and supporting devices which are not shown but through a motor inlet 21 and discharge it into an 45 which are within the skill of the ordinary artisan O t p p t St m 9 having Secured thereon to provide. a rotor 28 (Fig. 5) provided with rotary pistons Slidably mounted upon the fluid-supply and 30, 30, here shown as of the pivoted and springa guide pipe l3 for vertical movement thereon is a backed type, for drivin the Outer bit lo klost-motion jar-weight l5 (Fig. 2) adapted at the W as view d from ab v s in 8- lower limit of its relative movement to abut the An inner bit 3| adapted to be driven counterswivel l2 and at the upper limit of its relative clockwise, and approximately to counter-balance movement to abut an annular flange l3 formed the reaction torque of the outer bit 20, is formed on or secured to the fluid-supply and guide pipe with a hollow stem which extends upwardly ste IQ of the outer bit 20 an'dat its upper end is provided with a swivel 33 connecting it in fluid-conducting communication with a pipe 34 centrally mounted in a spider 35 which is secured by screws 33, 3G to the inner wall of the housing III, a ball thrust-bearing 31 being interposed between the upper end of the stem 32 and the spider 35 to cause the inner bit 3| to support its proper part of the weight of the housing "I and parts associated therewith.

The upper end portion of the stem 32 lies within and is journaled in the upper and lower end walls of the casing 33 of a positive-displacement, eccentric, rotary fluid pressure motor which is connected to the inner wall of the housing ll by radial brackets 38", 33 and is adapted to receive driving fluid from the exhaust of the motor casing 26 through a conduit comprising the pipe 28 and an inlet wing 38' formed on the casing 38, the stem 32 having secured thereon, by means of an interposed build-up bushing 32, a rotor 39 (Fig. 3) provided with rotary pistons 40, 40, here shown as of the pivoted and spring-backed type, for driving the inner bit 3|, counter-clockwise as viewed from above. The exhaust wing 4| of this motor (Fig. 3) is connected to a pipe 42 (Fig. 1) which-leads, through a conduit 43 (Fig. 1) to the pipe 34, so that the water exhausted from the second of the two motors in series is conducted through the stem 32 of the inner bit 3| and discharged at the lower end of the bit assembly, preferably at the center thereof, for washing up to the top of the well, through the space provided by the greater diameter of the outer bit 20 as compared with the diameter of the housing I, the particles dislodged from the bottom of the hole by the hits, the bit 20 being of two-arm or other spider construction so as to permit the necessary flow of the drilling fluid.

For stabilizing the assembly against any net torque resulting from imperfect balancing of the torque of the outer bit 20 against that of the inner bit 3|, a concentric, annular anchor foot 44 is interposed between the two bits, is provided at its lower, annular margin with sharp projections 44, 44 adapted to engage in the material of the bottom of the hole, and has a stem 45 which extends upwardly between and in concentric relation to the stems l3 and 32 of the bits and at its upper vend (Fig. 1) is threaded into the hub of a spider 45 of which the arms are slidably mounted at their outer ends for vertical movement between the arms of respective U-shaped guide members 41, 41, the bases of the U-shaped guide members being adapted to serve as stops for the downward movement of the spider 46 and the anchorfoot 44 rigid therewith, and a helical compression spring 46 is interposed between the bottom of the upper motor casing 38 and the hub of the spider 46 for urging the anchor-foot 44 downwardly towarda relative position such that its projections 44, 44 will engage with the material of the bottom of the hole, whether the bits be in advance of or behind the said projections in the descent.

Preferably the stem 45 of the anchor foot 44 is faced with a rubber layer 43 on its outer face for water-lubricated contact with the inner face of the stem l 3 of the outer bit 23 and with a layer of rubber 43 on its inner face for water-lubrlcated contact with the outer face of the stem 32 of the innerbit 3|.

' The hub of the spider 43 is shown as provided with a rubber lip-gasket 50 (Fig. 1) for sealing it to the stem 32 of the bit 3|,. and similar provision may be madefor sealing the space between the upper end portionofithe stem 45 of the anchorfoot and the stem 9 of the outer bit 23, but. such downward leakage as occurs between these several stems serves to produce a downward flow in the intervening spaces of comparatively non-abrasive fluid from the interior of the housing It and thus to prevent the migration of course particles from the region of the bits into the said spaces, and it is desirable to provide suitably for some such leakage in order to provide water-lubrication for the rubber coatings 48, 49.

Permissibly the two motors, although of the same structure in cross-section, may be of different axial lengths, as shown, to provide determinately diiferent angular speeds for the two bits. In the operation of the apparatus, the hose l4 and the cables I! and the parts associated therewith as described are lowered and pressure fluid is supplied through the hose l4 to drive the motors, and consequently their respective bits, in opposite directions, which causes them to drill away the material of the bottom of the hole, and the exhaust fluid from the motors, discharged at the bottom face of the bit assemb washes the cuttings up to the top of the well, where the fluid and the cuttings carried thereby are dealt with in the usual manner, the cuttings being settled out in the slush-pit and the fluid again circulated downward through the hose l4 and upward through the well on the exterior of the hose.

As the two motors are in series they are compelled to drivethe bits in the predetermined ratio of angular speed, and excessive rotation of the housing It and twisting of the hose and cable assembly is prevented by the spring-backed-anchor-foot 44. The annuar space between the two bits, partially occupied by the anchor-foot 44, maybe so narrow that the earth or rock between the two bits will be effectively chipped off by the eccentric orv erratic horizontal impulses of the bit assembly. I

The cables I! during the drilling operation preferably are so slacked as to permit a substantial part or all of the weight of the housing, It and parts mounted therein, and permissibly also that of the jar-weight l5, to be imposed upon the bits, and in case of the bits or housing becoming stuck the cables are rapidly raised, which causes the jar-weight to contact the flange l3 of the pipe l3 with a strong impact, for loosening the assembly from the material in which arrangement is such that an effective jar is-provided without the necessity of the' sliding packed joint which is required in ordinary rotary rigs as now employed.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, a middle bit 52 and two outer bits 53, 53 are secured upon a horizontal shaft 54 which is journaled in a pair of brackets 55, 55 extending downward from a horizontal bulk-head 56 mounted in a housing 51, these bits being adapted to be driven in one direction, and two intermediate bits 53, 58, adapted to be driven in the opposite direction, are loosejournaled upon the shaft 54, one on each side of the middle bit 52 and between it and the adjacent end bit 53, the bits of the assembly being so formed that in the aggregate they represent a substantially round hole axig For driving the bits without torque upon the housing 51 about a vertical axis apositive-displacement rotary fluid-pressure motor 53 is secured in the housing 51 between the bulk-head 56 and a higher bulk-head 60 and adanted'to be supplied with pressure-fluid throlwh an inlet pipe 8| although journaled on a horizontal it is stuck. The

complete sphere, so as to drill a v leading from a hose (not shown) such as thehose M of Fig. 2, and cables such as the cables of Fig. 2, and permissibly also the jar assembly of Fig. 2, may be provided.

The rotor shaft 62 of the motor has secured thereon a gear 63 which is meshed with a gear 84 mounted on a stubhaft projecting from the motor casing and having as a twin on said shaft a bevel gear 65 meshed with a bevel gear 86 which is secured on the upper end of a vertical shaft .51 journaled in the bulk-head 58 and provided with a pair of thrust-bearings acting against the bulk-head, one of which'is shown at 68.

Below the bulk-head 58 the vertical shaft 61 has secured thereon two bevel gears 59, Ill. The gear 58 is meshed with a gear ll secured upon a horizontal shaft 12 which is journaled in the brackets 55, and has secured on its other end a gear 13, the gears 1i and 13 being meshed respectively with sets of bevel gear teeth formed on the peripheries of the intermediate bits 58, 58. The bevel gear 10 is meshed with the bevel portions ofa bevel-and-spur gear 14 freely journaled on the shaft 12, the spur portions of the teeth being meshed with a set of spur-gear teeth formed on the periphery of the middle bit 52.

The motor is adapted to discharge the driving fluid through a pipe I5 which extends with a sealing fit through the lower bulk-head 58 and is extended as a coil about the upper port on of the bit assembly, where it is provided with discharge apertures '16, 15 for discharging the pressure-fluid in the region of the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well.

The bulk-heads and 56 are bevel-fitted to internal flanges on the housing 51, the upper bulkhead being the smaller in diameter, so that they may be introduced into the housing in succession from below and secured in place with a sealing fit, as by means of screws such as the-screws 56 60 60, and the space between the bull:-.

heads, about the motor and adjacent gears, may be packed with grease.

In the operation of this embodiment the motor is continuously driven in the same direction by the motive fluid and the middle bit 52 and the end bits 53, 53 are thereby driven in one direction and the intermediate bits 58, 58 in the opv sively spaced vertically posite direction, with substantially no torque of the structure as a'whole about a vertical axis, or only such erratic torque, incident to unequal resistances of the bits, as to cause occasional changes of orientationof the axis of the bits and thus chip out or cause cross-grinding of such ridges of earth or rock as have been left temporarily in the spaces between the intermediatebits 58 and the middle bit 52.

The bit assembly has only such tendency to walk horizontally as is represented by unbalanced resistance of the bits and this is largely neutralized by the law of averages applying from moment to moment and also is resisted by contact of the housing 51 with the vertical walls of the hole, the housing being of such length as to have bearing points against the walls'extenfrom each other so as to prevent rapid departure of the drilling operation from a vertical direction.

Other modifications are possible within the scope of my invention and I do not wholly limit my claims to the specific embodiments herein shown.

I claim:

1. Well drilling apparatus comprising at least a pair of oppositely-rotating bits, a mounting .ity of the bits and driven of fluid for driving the bits.

common to the bits, means for circulating a current of fluid to wash the cuttings of the bits to. the top of the well, and means in the vicinity J of the bits and driven by the said current of fluid" for driving the bits.

2. Well drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary bits, a mounting common to said bits, the bits being so arranged on said mounting asto impose upon said mounting less than the sum of their reaction torques, means for circulating a current .of fluid to wash the cuttings to the top of the well, and means in the vicinby the said current 3. Drilling apparatus comprising at .least a pair of oppositely rotating bits, a mounting common to the bits, fluid actuated means for driving said bits in their opposite directions and dis-' charging the fluid in the vicinity of the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well, and means in the vicinity of the bits for sustaining by contact with a surface formed by the drilling operation the net reaction torque of the bits.

4. Drilling apparatus comprising at least ,a pair of oppositely rotating bits, a mounting common to the bits, fluid actuated means for driving said bits in their opposite directions and discharging the fiuid in the vicinity of the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well, and means in the vicinity of the bits for sustaining by contact with a surface formed by the drilling operation the net reaction torque of the bits, the bits being substantially coaxial.

5. Drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary bits, a mounting common to the bits, fluid actuated means for driving the bits and discharging the fluid in the vicinity of the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well, and means for sustaining by contact with a surface formed by the drilling operation the net reaction torque of the bits.

6. Drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary bits, a mounting common to the bits, fluid actuated 'means for driving the bits and discharging the fluid in the vicinity .of the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well, and means for sustaining by contact with a surface formed by the drilling operation the net reaction torque of the bits, the. bits being substantially coaxial.

'7. Drilling apparatus comprising at least a pair of oppositely rotating bits, a mounting common to the bits, fluid-actuated means for driving said bits in their opposite directions and discharging the fluid in the vicinity of the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well, and means in the vicinity of the bits for sustaining by contact with a surface formed by the drilling operation the net reaction torque of the bits, the bits being so associated as temporarily to leave a ridge between the areas drilled by them and to chip the material from the ridgeby erratic action.

'8. Drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary bits, a mounting common to the bits, fluidactuated means for driving the bits and discharging the fluid adjacent the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well, and means for sustaining by contact with a surface formed by the drilling operationthe net reaction torque of the bits, the .bits being so associated as temporarily to leave a ridge between the areas drilled by them and to chip the material from the ridge by erratic action.

9. Drilling apparatus comprising at least a.

-foot in an annular adapted to contact the material being drilled being of like of substantially coaxial pressure-fluid motors for driving the bits in opposite directions,- and means conducting the exhaust fluid from the motors to the vicinity of the bits for washing away the cuttings.

10. Drilling appaartus comprising at least a pair of substantiallycoaxial rotary bits, means for. driving the bits in opposite directions, means for washing away the cuttings, and an anchorspace between the bits and for sustaining the net reaction torque oi the bits.

11. Drilling apparatus comprising at least a pair of substantially coaxial rotary bits, means for driving the bits in opposite directions, means 'for washing away the cuttings, and a spring-backed anchor-foot in an annular space between the bits and adapted to contact the material being drilled for sustaining the net reaction torque oi. the bits.

12. Drilling apparatus comprising at least a pair of substantially coaxial rotary bits, 8. pairv of substantially coaxial pressure-fluid motors to: driving the bits in opposite directions, the said apparatus having provision for discha H fluid from the motors in the vicinity oithe bit; for washing away the cuttings. 13. Drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary bits and a plurality of positive-displacement pressure-fluid motors mounted in series for actuation by the same current of fluid Y through them in succession and or diii'erent piston displacement for driving respective hits at Y determinately dinerent angular s 14; Drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of rotary bits and a plurality of positive-displacement-pres'sure-fluid motors mounted in series tor actuationv by the same current 01 fluid through them in succession and oi diil'erent piston for driving respective bits at dediflerent angular speeds, the motors construction except that they are of terminately 'the range oi. the J'ar-weight's 8138. thQ

diirereht axial length for providing the different piston displacements.

15. Drilling apparatus comprising a bit, bit driving means, means for conducting fluid to the vicinity of the bit and there discharging it for washing away the cutting, a jar-weight in the vicinity of the bit slidably associated in lostmotion relation to a part of the fluid-conducting means which is of constant length throughout lost-motion movement, and means other than the fluid-conducting means for actuating said Jar-weight.

'18. Well drilling apparatus comprising a bit, a

prusure-fluid motor in the vicinity of the bit and constituting the mounting and driving means therefor, means extending from the top of the well to the motor {or supplying pressure-fluid thereto, a jar-weight slidably associated in the vicinity of the motor in lost-motion relation to a part oi the assembly which is of constant length throughout the length of the jar-weight's range lost motionmovement, and means extending into the well and having connection to the jar-weight for raising and lowering the assembly and for actuating the jar-weight.

17. Well drilling apparatus comprising a plurality of bits each journaled for rotation on a nonvertical axis, a mounting common to said bits, and fluid-actuated means interposed operatively between the bits and the mounting for driving the bits and discharging the fluid adJacent the bits for washing the cuttings to the top of the well.

18. Well drilling apparatus comprising a pluralityof bits each Journaled for rotation on a non-vertical axis, a mounting common to said bits, and fluid-actuated means interposed operatively between each bit and the mounting for driving the bits and discharging the fluid in the vicinity of the bits for was the cuttings to the top 01 the well, the bit assembly being so constructed and arranged as E. BANNISTER.

' mately round hole. 

